Suzanne Vares-Lum
Retired United States Army two-star general, President of East–West Center / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Suzanne Puanani Vares-Lum[1] (born 1967) is the president of East–West Center in Honolulu, HI, and a former Major General in the United States Army.
Suzanne Puanani Vares-Lum | |
---|---|
Born | 1967 |
Alma mater | University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa |
Known for | President of East–West Center |
Spouse | Courtney Lum |
Children | 2 |
Awards | Defense Superior Service Legion of Merit Bronze Star Knowlton Awardee |
Military career | |
Service/ | United States Army |
Rank | Major General |
Commands held | 298th MFTU Hawaii Army National Guard |
Battles/wars | Iraq War |
In 2015, she became the first Native Hawaiian woman to become a general, and upon her appointment as president of East-West Center in 2021, became its first woman and the first Native Hawaiian to lead the organization since it was founded in 1960.[2][3]
Vares-Lum was a career intelligence officer and an influential executive advising the most senior leadership of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), where she played a key role in USINDOPACOM's effort to shape and maintain regional security through development of diplomatic, economic, and military policies. This included building and maintaining military-to-military and political-military relationships amongst the 43 nations within the Pacific region, engaging with senior leaders in the Department of Defense, local government, local communities, and Members of Congress.
In 2023, Bank of Hawaii elected Vares-Lum to also serve on its board of directors, serving on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and Fiduciary and Investment Management Committee.[4]